A recently discovered critical vulnerability - CVE-2024-11156 - has been identified as an "out-of-bounds write" code execution flaw in the widely used simulation software, Rockwell Automation Arena®. This post details the vulnerability, associated risks, and recommended mitigation strategies for organizations relying on Rockwell Automation Arena® in their operations.
About Rockwell Automation Arena®
Rockwell Automation Arena® is a popular discrete-event simulation software used by businesses across various sectors such as manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and warehousing, to optimize complex processes and make data-driven decisions (source). As such, any vulnerability in this essential software could have serious implications for organizations and their overall operations.
Exploit Details
CVE-2024-11156 is an "out-of-bounds write" vulnerability that could allow a threat actor to write beyond the boundaries of allocated memory in a DOE (design of experiments) file. If exploited successfully, a threat actor could leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code, potentially compromising the integrity of the affected system.
To exploit this vulnerability, a legitimate user must execute the malicious code crafted by the threat actor, either through social engineering, phishing attacks, or other infiltration techniques.
A sample code snippet demonstrating the issue is as follows
// Vulnerable function:
void vulnerable_function(char *input) {
char buf[128];
strcpy(buf, input); // Contains a potential buffer overflow if input is too large
}
// Exploit code:
int main() {
char malicious_input[256];
memset(malicious_input, x41, sizeof(malicious_input) - 1);
malicious_input[sizeof(malicious_input) - 1] = '\';
vulnerable_function(malicious_input);
return ;
}
In the code snippet above, the vulnerable_function copies the input buffer from the user-provided input (malicious_input). If the input is too large, it will lead to a buffer overflow, potentially overwriting adjacent memory and executing arbitrary code.
References
- Original advisory by Rockwell Automation: Click here
- CVE-2024-11156: National Vulnerability Database
Recommendations
Organizations using Rockwell Automation Arena® software should take the following steps to protect themselves from the potential impact of this vulnerability:
1. Apply Patches: Rockwell Automation has released a patch to fix this vulnerability, which is available on their official website (link). It is highly recommended to apply this patch as soon as possible.
2. Educate Users: Since the exploitation of this vulnerability relies on a legitimate user executing malicious code, organizations should educate their employees on the dangers of phishing attacks, social engineering, and other infiltration attempts.
3. Restrict Access: Implement proper access controls and limit privileges for users handling DOE files, to minimize the potential risk of unauthorized access and execution of malicious code.
4. Monitor and Log: Continuously monitor user activity and system events, check for unusual behavior, and maintain comprehensive logs for future analysis and tracing.
By taking these steps, organizations can thwart the possibility of threat actors exploiting the CVE-2024-11156 vulnerability and further minimize potential risks to their operations.
Timeline
Published on: 12/05/2024 18:15:21 UTC
Last modified on: 12/17/2024 15:52:01 UTC